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Posts Tagged ‘Silent City’

The link between activism and art is at the core of Silent City’s newest venture. We spoke with members Sally Mumby-Croft, Cara Nahaul and Emily Whitebread about their new project, and their plans for the collective.

The new publication from Silent City, ‘Art and Activism’, poses three key questions: Should art be separated from activism? Should art have a political value or function? Should art be radical, critical, resistant or subversive? While Silent City has chosen activism as the focus of its examination, the key question is one that can be applied to any art discussion: What do we want art to say about ourselves?

“The political value of art will always be disputed, [but] it cannot be denied that there is a relationship,” says the Silent City trio. “Modern UK activism is incredibly creative, from the actions of Climate Camp to art collectives such as the Vacuum Cleaner. It may not be always overly political, but it is far from separate.” At all times in history, art has told a story about the politics of its time; just consider the identity of the people in the pictures, or the subtle ways in which the artist undermined the status quo.

An exhibition that addressed the issue of climate change with a particular focus on its impact on the Third World: A reaction against exhibitions such as ‘Earth: Art of a Changing World’ hosted by the RA which tend to present a classless vision of ecological justice made in the West, prioritising the needs of the developed nations over all others.

Untitled (CCD) by Claire Roberts (detail) The central premise of Silent City, the group comprised of artists Emily Whitebread, Cara Nahaul and Sally Mumby-Croft, whose first exhibition has just opened […]